Cigarette package



J. SCHUMANN CIGARETTE P'ACKAGE Filed April 28,1943

Oct. 31, 1944.

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Juanita-88mm ATTORNEY.

Patented Oct. 31, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CIGARETTE PACKAGE Jdhannes Schumann, Philadelphia, Pa. Application April 28, 1943, Serial No. 484,935

(01. zoo-41.2)

3 Claims.

The present invention relates to the opening of packages of merchandise and the removal of the goods therefrom, and more particularly relates to packages of cigarettes and the like.

In dispensing cigarettes it is the common practice to pack twenty cigarettes under constricting tension in a rectangularly shaped flexible paper container, one end of which exposes overlapping flaps sealed by a revenue stamp. In addition, modern packages are contained within a Cellophane wrapper which has sealing ends lying over the package flaps in position to be broken for access to the aforesaid flaps. Inopening such a package, following the breaking of the Cellophane, either the flaps are opened outwardly to expose the entire top of the contents, or a corner may be torn off toexpose only a portion of the contents. Whether one or the other of these opening methods is used, the problem of removing a cigarette Without damaging its end remains the same. The fact that the cigarettes are packed and heldclose together with all tops in a. common plane prevents the fingers of the user from grasping a cigarette with any degree of assurance, and even if successfully grasped the packing pressure so resists the movement of the cigarette that the lifting effort causes the cigarette paper to be torn away from the cigarette end, so that, at least one cigarette in every package has a broken end to cause uneven burning. It has heretofore been proposed to provide ribbons built into the package around a cigarette as one means of solving the problem, since an end of the ribbon projects from the package and when pulled outwardly causes a cigarette to be partly expelled. The trouble and cost incident to assembly of such a, ribbon is prohibitive as a commercial proposition.

Some of the objects of the present invention are to provide a. new and novel means for opening a. package of cigarettes; to provide means for gaining access to the contents of a cigarette package and withdrawing a cigarette therefrom without damage to the cigarette; to provide a simple, cheap and easily assembled means for breaking the wrapper of a cigarette package; to provide 'means in association with a package opening means for causing one cigarette to be projected from or removed from its package; and to provide other improvements as will hereinafter appear.

In the accompanying drawing Fig. 1 represents a perspective of a package of cigarettes embodying one form of the present invention; Fig. 2 represents a perspective of the same showing the initial steps in the opening of the package;

Fig. 3 represents a perspective of the same showing the package seal broken and the actuating implement ready for removal; Fig. 4 represents a fragmentary detail of the opened pack of cigarettes showing the extracting implement ready to be inserted in a cigarette; Fig. 5 represents a.

sectional detail showing the extracting implement as partially inserted in a cigarette; and Fig. 6 represents the temporarily coupled implement and cigarette partially withdrawn from the package. l

Referring to the drawing, one form of the present invention is shown whereina cigarette package II], of usual construction, having package flaps II and I2 overlapping across the top of the package and normally sealed by the revenue stamp 13. Ends l4 and I 50f the outer Cellophane wrapper enclose the stamp and flaps in the usual manner. i 1

For the purpose of breaking the bond between the Cellophane ends I l-and I5, an implement I6 is provided having a length substantially equal to the diagonal distance between two corners of the package top, and the same is assembled between the package flaps and the, Cellophane folded ends prior to or after the sealing of the latter. While this diagonal positioningof the implement I6 is preferred, the invention is not limited to such position or to such length of implement. Preferably the implement i6 is in the form of an elongated relatively thin member of wood or other material having a substantially effective friction surface such illustratively as a toothpick. In section the implement is preferably circular but diminishing in diameter from at least its middle portion to one end where it terminates in a relatively sharp point. The package with its assembled implement is shown in Fig. l, and as such will be dispensed over the counter.

To open the package, the purchaser graps it between the thumb and a finger at the corners adjacent the respective ends of the implement and squeezes the corners together. This compresses the package and shortens the diagonal thereof sufiiciently to cause the ends of the implement to puncture the Cellophane and protrude therefrom in proximity to the thumb and finger, which latter are now pressed against the implement ends in opposite directions so that the implement in turning quickly breaks the Cellophane ends to expose the package flaps. The implement is nowremoved, inserted beneath the stamp is and by lever action breaks the seal.

The package top can now be opened and access had to the cigarettes.

The user now presses the sharp end of the implement into a cigarette, preferabl to depth where the body of the implement is thickest and as a result the already compressed tobacco is further compressed against the relatively inelastic encircling paper wrapper and against the implement to solidly grip the latter. This compression is so tenacious that when the implement. is withdrawn from the -=package, the impaled cigarette is drawn out with it ready for use. This removal leaves a space which allows the user to grasp another cigarette for removal without damage,

though if desired, the implement can be-used for removing any of the remaining cigarettes.

The implement is preferably ung'lazed and is non-metallic so that its surface .hassa relatively high co'efiicient of friction. The rate of.diminishing circumference, or of taper thereof from the thickestvportion =is-zrelativelypslow so that :the :implement can ("easily-i be; plunged gor gforced into .zthe agcigarette .with a a relatively-zslow increasemf pressurexand so that aisu'fiicientarea fof.implement istcontacted by the compressed tobacco. as Ltosanchor :the cigarette and" implement together. .iIIl .other wordsgit'is preferable ;that :the point be :rather;.acute;.;although:satisfactory;results:canbe :achieved by very "lobtusecpoints,

;.:It will' be: understood .that :the :implement may also be located beneath the tax stamp as well. as ;.under the;overlappingxioldsbf .the Cellophane router cover, rsolzas simultaneously to secure rupture of :the stamp .andzouter. wrap by simple :ma-

:nipulationof the :implement inzzplace, orlaiter i.

.removal. from the package. :It-may::also --be lo- ..cated nunder .allr-of the layers and folds of the epackage,;or may befurnished as aseparateitem for operating association with the package. How- :ever furnished it will be understoodthat the fric- :tion between thectobacco and implement,,by reaction-against.thelencircling non-elastic cigarette "wrapper need only-be greater thanthattbetween ladjacent cigarettesunder lateral .compressionlin .theapack.

:Havihg :thus describedrnydnyention, I claim:

Ina cigarette l package, the combination of a container formed of folded material having a sealed end to be ruptured for access to the contents, a plurality of cigarettes in said container, and a wooden toothpick held by said sealed end in position to be manually operated to rupture said end to release said toothpick and by manipulation to expose the end of at least one cigarette, said toothpick being adapted to axially penetrate the exposed end of said cigarette to a depth necessary tacausesaid cigarette-to adhere by friction to-said toothpick, whereby said cigarette can be removed from said package by the Withdrawal of said toothpick.

2. In a cigarette package, the combination of acontainer formed of folded material having a sealed end to be ruptured for access to the contents, said end being rectangular in shape, a

spluralitynf cigarettes in said container, and an elongated rigid implement disposed diagonally of said end and under the folded material, the ends 10f :saidimplement:terminating in close'proximity atosthe respective opposite corners .of saidapackage,

whereby compression of saidcorners causes :said

implement to puncture :the, material at thextwo corners .toexpose the ends of the implementifor rotativermanipulation tobreaksaid material and sneleasezsaid implement.

a3. :In; combination a package 'of cigarettes the respective cigarettes: being maintained under .latteralnpressure so ,thatfrictionbetween contiguous 'zcigarettesand betweenthe walls 'of the package :a-nd: adjacent cigarettes-is so great as .to prevent .readyadislodgement of any cigarette, and apointed implement LOf varying circumference from the lpointhaving a surface with a'relatively high coeffiacientaof friction. to be usedfor axial insertion. into eazselected cigarette until'the elastictobacco of the :cigarette .has been displaced .and compressed against iitszpaper and byreaction of compression against the implement to engender a frictional g'grip;betweenithe said selected cigarette and said cigarette .zsuch; as :to I overcome the friction effec- ..tivelon:the outer :face of "the .:cigarette as to per- .mit vaxial withdrawal of saidselected cigarette :with"thenimplement upon'which it :has been 'impaled.

JOHANNES SCHUMANN. 

